Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More
By: Fatima Ali / Contributor: Tarajia Morrell / Narrated By: Nikhaar Kishnani, Deepa Samuel
Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
Oh thank GOSH! A Thanksgiving Listen that causes cravings, causes cheering, causes tears
It’s like this, see: I saw the red cover art, and the S, and I forgot Sous Chef was the book I was s’posed to be listening to for Thanksgiving, to yak about with Big Sis. And hey! they were back-to-back in m’ Library. And so, for Thanksgiving I had an AWEsome listening experience, one full of grace, and love, and filled with amazing foodie-type descriptions. And wonderful narration. One that ended so tragically that I could only feel great good fortune that I’m still here, granted more than 50+ years of Life as opposed to the barely 29-years that author Fatima Ali was granted. (Uhm… Sous Chef shoulda been m’ Listen, but hey! Savor starts with an S!!!).
Now, I’m a fan of cooking shows, watched “Chopped” and “Top Chef” religiously when those shows came on overnights. And Fati was on both those shows. I read one tepid review that groused because that reviewer was an Uber “Top Chef” fan and was listening only to get the Skinny on the Show, and this memoir only skimmed it.
I’ll let you know: It’s cuz Fati did soooo much more with her 29-years than show up on “Top Chef”.
Further, Savor is told with Fati’s mom doing some of the chapters. These are/were two women from Pakistan who bucked the gender-expectations and went waaay beyond what was expected of women for their times. Dunno if the earlier reviewer hated that as well, but to me, it added a definite poignancy, especially when Mom wraps the book up, after Fati’s early and tragic and pain-riddled death, even tho’ her death was peaceful at the end.
Where Sous Chef was the notoriety and simple idolatry of The Biz, Savor is all ambition, to bring Pakistani cuisine to light, to educate about a culture that’s sooo much more than violence and terrorism. Fati had goals, and the amazing thing is that she accomplished so very much that she intended to, in her few short years on the planet.
Further, her ambition is NOT fraught with drunken jackassery, like Sous Chef cooks, and Fati represents for women chefs up against a most DEFinite Patriarchal industry. She gives women cooks/chefs such a good name, unlike Cat Cora in her DEPLORABLE Cooking As Fast As I Can, which is filled with food, yeh, but more so drunken brawls and even MORE jackassery. Wonderful wonderful wonderful.
This is deliciously narrated, filled with food that causes a ridiculous amount of salivation, and one that ends in such a touching fashion. Not only did Fati become a media sensation, she made good friends wherever she went. Friends who traveled to be with her as her life was waning, all who journeyed to express their love for her.
Not m’ favorite Foodie audiobook, but one that set the bar super-high for this Thanksgiving. A delight, a tragedy, a song of love to her culture and to the way she lived her life.
Booooo! to Sous Chef which came off as ridiculous in comparison. And a Mighty HUZZAH to Fati for making women chefs proud, for having big dreams and going for them. For living an exemplary life.
Just a wonderful Life Journey with an amazing young woman.
And that last chapter, from a mother who grieves?
Well, just? I teared up, I confess. A Mom shouldn’t have to bury her daughter…
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